Operating mechanism



July 16, 1935. E. ALMDALE OPERATING MECHANISM Filed Aug. 25, 1952 /1v VENTOR Emma A LMDAL-E'.

BY I

AT.ORNEY Patented July 16, 1935 2,008,126

r l "2,008,1'20 i v i QPERATING MEGHANISM V Einar Alni dale Detroit, Mich, to They MidIand Steel Products Company, CIe'veIanm' V Ohio, a; corporationof Ohio Application August 25-, 1932,Serial- No, 6311;420 V 4' Claims." (01. 74-512) N This: inventionhrelatesfl to new and useful im Refer'ringnow more particularly to the drawing prbvementsidn control mechanisms and more wherein for. the purposes of exemplification is particularly mechanical control means for shown one application of thedevice, the numeral operatingnarr instrumentality situated remotely l designates the body Ufa D m PIGSS- h v n a 5 therefrom. 1 V V 1 I base] positionedup'orr the floor 3 and having a; '5"

An important object-of the invention ism pro-- worksuppurtin table I upon which the work is vide" a portable control oi the above character positioned to beop r fi p n y a m tal punch whichrcanrbe readily moved to be" disposed in r ciprocable in the head 5 by he us al mechava'rious p1acesastheexigencies ofthe case require m: mployed Ior'sueh purposes. The toolis 0 andab the same time to provide the same con- W descend? user-lithe Work Positioned 1 1 venien e r t s though the t r the table 1 whenever the control rod 6 is moved werelto stand directly beside the instrumentality dnwnwlrdly' h win in action of a. lever t be t 1 '1 l l mlcrumed as at ll' 'upon the frame of the press. Anotherimportant-objectoftheinvention isto ordinarilyrthlsleverl is-opemted'by meanslvf'a providfia remote n deviceghavmg part8 treadle orhand: lever having its fulcrum fixedly which'will always-lie close to the fioor touobvia-te m i 13388 f he press; an prin th danger of workmemtrippmgover h same means are associated. with the clutch or' brake and being thrown and also to provide ah arrange device mtummgi'the-lever 7 to an: pp ment requiring intentional aotuatibn-tocwuse'its mglmfimm: but mviewofsuchmechanism 110?; operation and onewhich cannot beaccidentally mustmtedmme premt'drawmgfi'tensim operatedby falling objects orby'worltmen-tra pring! 9 connected to the lever 'l' and. theside of jng'over the device; u V v the presshas been illustrated as: a: substitute for ''Astillfurtherobjeot-oftheinventionisto probhdusuamvme mm many cases, h Vida anparra-ngemenbmfwmch the I b f a tpresses are called upon to operate uponprodoets 5 ployed in-the operation of the device'l-s precluded having such dimensmnslas w prevent flp 'ator from 1 k a: l a tram reaching; the usual controlsat the base or i i A still iurther'obieet of the invention is to pmthe machine W mu using somefon'rr or makevide a'oomi'ortable treadIe mechanismhaving its mimmangemgntwhichis a1 hazard with? Safety parts arranged to obviate frictional resistanoeas M wwkmw The necessity for remotecontrol D far as and; one arrangement 6f Such im production of partsiw-illiihduce-positiveaetlon ofthe'device of wtwwbfle'fmmes in which. one w kman w n n operatoris, foot is properly associated handles a frame coming through the' prod'uction therewith to actuate: the control device. 7 line on movewhead conveyor and because of the 7 other: objects and advantages of tfiei-hventio required: hmiline, is eompelledl s an at the y will b o apparent; during t r f t side automohil'e trame opposite that which following description, r r I is=disposedup0mthetablefifor'an operation. In the accompanying drawing forming g -g this position, the: workman. could not reach the of the description and wherein like numerals are usual Press control Without the mflkeshmts employed; to designate like parts throughout the mbefiow alluded Whfle fi p of r w 5 I machineto'be-contmlledhas been illustrated, for 4 0 t Fig; 1 is a side elevation of the deviceshowi ng n appreciation of the device i is to be it appliedlto an instrumental ity to be controlled. understood that i aupficati r not limited Fig.2 isa top plan of the portablerioot; treadle thereto as: its; use will: be found advantageous in with" aportion of its closure removed-L 1 H m y other fi and; with various e ypes v r Fig. '3: is a longitudinal vertical section of the 917' machines y f0? ao i round the same, .v t t particularworkltdbe operated upon but for con-' 1 r Fig; enlarged segtionz]; View il'lugfirafing eentratiorr oil? controls ofi'various machines wherethe manner of connecting the: flexible conduit to be one w r man may control several machines the base ofthe treadle; e s l l '1 r 1 from one 0! op ration. i i .eWhiIethe control devicethasbeeniilhistrated in riemofle control device includes a rela 5 the present drawing in conjunction with a spefiveiy heavy portable base which: possesses sufiicific instrumentality to be controlled, it is=.to be cl'ent wei'g'htwbe thoroughlysfiable in anyplace understood-that the: wise it ix positioned: tor operation and cannot; be limited-x150 use in conjunction: with suchinsfirwkicked aroundorupset' without intentional elli mentality, but isof general appllcatiomq f forte; is generally designated by the inserted into the same for actuation of the device. The foiward end of the base casting is provided with an integral heavy vertical enlargement or toe portion I4 having a forwardly and downwardly inclined surface l5 terminating in a point in close proximity to the floor.

At the upper end of this inclined surface is a right angularly projecting'fshoulder 16 having. a notch I! at the center thereof for registration with a groove [8 extending through the height of the inclined surface l5. 'lThis groove'isla'dapte. ed for the reception of a ferrule or sleeve |3. clamped upon one end of an armored flexible conduit 20.- The upper end of this ferruleis reduced as "at 2| and a felt packingwasher 22 is disposed in the ferrule [9 between the shoulder formed by the reduced end 2| and the end of the armored cable 20, clamped in the ferrule to prevent the leakage of lubricant disposed in the conduit. A flexible wire cable 23 extends through the reduced nipple-21, packing 22 and all the way through the armored conduit20. In order to facilitate slidability of the cable in the conduit; the latter is filled with a lubricant as is customary in flexible cable and conduit construction employed for theactuation of me'- chanical brakes of automotive vehicles. This conduit 2| consists broadly of an inner metallic housing formed by spirally winding wire in compression and an outer coating of textile material woven about the metallic conduit and rendered leak-proof by the application of suitable paints and lacquers under heat treatment. I This makes the incompressible and non-extensible flexible conduit fairly heavy to prevent it from snaking up on the floor and tripping workmen as they pass over the same.

This-ferrule constitutes one end of the flexible conduit and is clamped in its groove I B by means of a metallic bridge bar 24 secured to the inclined surface I5 and against the shoulder l6 by means ofsuitable fastenings25. This arrangement, ,it, will be noted, causes the end of the flexible conduit to be inclined downwardly to meet the floor only a short distance beyond the forward end of the base so as. to preclude the possibility of workmen tripping over this slightly inclined portion of the conduit. Moreover, this inclination is inducive to retaining the. lubricant therein and. preventing its leakage through the ferrule intothe base ID.

The end of the cable 23 projecting inwardly of the toe portion l4 is'swivelly connected to a yoke 25 which is pivotally connected as at 26 to the 7 short upwardly extending arm 21 of a bell. crank shaped foot treadle-fulcrumed as at 29. The other arm 30, of this bell crank is enlarged laterally at its free end and provided with a-roughened surface toform a .foot treadle portion 3L.

The base 10 is provided'along its two longitudinalqmargins with vertically extending side walls or flanges 32 which extend friomthe heel portions l2 to the toev portions l4 and are integral therewith. Each of these side walls or flanges at their forward ends are provided with vertical extensions 34 to form substantially V-. shaped seats for an inverted. V-shaped shield plate 35 securedgto theupper inclined edges of the flanges by means of the fastenings 36. This configuration of the flanges permits ample clearance of the short arm 21 of the bell crank when the foot treadle is depressed to operate the machine. The fulcrum 29 of the foot treadle is provided by a pin 31 extended through the two flanges 32 and prevented from displacement by cotter pins extending through the ends of the pin as illustrated."

"It is to be noted that 'the'foot treadle in its' normal inoperative position as shown in Fig. 3

does not extend above the side flanges 32 and consequently the possibility of accidental operation of the foot treadle is reduced to a minimum. Moreover, the treadle cannot be operated by placing theoperators foot to bridge the two flanges 32'but the foot must be placed in substantial longitudinal alignment with the base .in order. to engage and depress the'treadle. Ac-

cidents from accidental manipulation of the device aretherefore reduced to aiminimum."

' Referring to Fig. 1, it will .be noted that the conduit 20 is of considerable length and it has been found convenient toform. the same .into lengths of 10 or more feet so as to increase the range of adjustment of the fodttreadlewithreference to the. instrumentality.v operated thereby. The end 38 of the conduit remote from the foot treadle is fixedly attached to the instrumentality to be operated by means ofthe clamping plate 39 ina position to lead the oppositewend of cable 23 to the controlling ,mechanism .of' the instrumentality. The free end .of the cable is provided with a. swivel yoke 40 which is pivotallyconnected as at 14lqtothe leverrl. With this arrangement, it will be obvious that. upon depression oft the treadle 3|, the'cable 23.- will be drawn through the conduit to swing the-lever 1 against the tension of the spring 9 tothereby actuate the control-rod}; of the press and cause the tool thereof to; descend upon the work. Immediately upon release of pressure of the -.foot treadle, the spring- 9 swingsthe leverl upwardly and thereby draws the cable 23 through the. conduit to restore the-treadle-to the normal position shown in Fig. 3 ready for the. next operation. Due tothe construction jandlengthof the conduit and cable, it possesses considerable weight it and resistance against snaking on the floor, this action being further precluded by rig-v idly clamping the two ends of the conduit to fixed objects. Consequently, the conduit'will lie flat against -the;floo r in whatever position the treadle base is mounted. Due to the flexibility, of the cable and conduit,*it will be apparent that the treadle base may be shifted to any position remote fromthe instrumentality; controlled and when so located, due to its weight will be entirely stable and not subjecttobeing kicked over or accidentally moved. However, the weight of the base portion is not sufiicientto preclude its easy portability'to other locations toadaptthe control to other-kinds of work. {It will be obvious that the foot treadle. base may be constructed from sheet metal if desired; without sacrificing any of the advantages of the invention. i

-It is to be, understood that. various changes in the size, shape and arrangement of parts may be resorted to without departing from the spirit of the invention or claims. .Iclaim': 1. Operating means comprisinga base. adapted to bepo'sitioned upon the' floor and havinga the scope of the appended downwardlyJinclined portion :inclose proximity 7 to the floor, said inclined portion having a groove therein inclined in the same direction as said surface, a treadle mounted upon said base, a conduit secured within the groove of the inclined surface so as to be directed down into engagement with the floor in close proximity to the base, and a flexible cable extending through said conduit and connected to said treadle.

2. Portable operating means comprising a mobile base, a bell crank treadle mounted therein on a horizontal axis, guard flanges extending vertically from the base on opposite sides of the treadle and having portions extending above the upwardly extending arm of the treadle, the flanges at one end being spaced apart for the introduction of the foot to engage the treadle, said base having an upwardly inclined seat extending toward the free end of the upwardly extending arm of the treadle, a conduit secured in said upwardly inclined seat, and a flexible cable slidably mounted in the conduit and connected to said upwardly extending arm of the bell crank.

3. Portable operating means comprising amobile base, a bell crank treadle mounted therein on a horizontal axis, guard flanges extending vertically from the base on opposite sides of the treadle and having portions extending above the upwardly extending arm of the treadle, a hood secured to said upwardly extending portions of the side walls and overhanging the upwardly extending arm of the treadle, the flanges at one end being spaced apart for the introduction of the foot to engage the treadle, said base having an upwardly inclined seat extending toward the free end of the upwardly extending arm of the treadle, a conduit secured in said upwardly inclined seat, and a flexible cable slidably mounted in the conduit and connected to said upwardly extending arm of the bell crank.

4. Portable operating means comprising a mobile base having a cavity therein and a heavy 'toe' piece provided with a downwardly inclined surface, a foot pedal mounted within the cavity, a flexible conduit secured to said inclined surface and led downwardly into engagement with the floor closely adjacent the toe portion of the base, and a flexible cable slidably mounted in the conduit and connected to the foot treadle.

EINAR ALMDALE. 

